Mech RP- Roleplay Thread

James stepped off of the shuttle as the unit of Troopers he had been transferred with jogged away and towards their new unit. Over his left shoulder was a large bag filled with all of the possessions he had; dress uniform, spare BDU, toiletries and a few personal items. On his right was his standard-issue rifle, an R27 Carbine. His sidearm, a semi-automatic handgun, was holstered on his leg. Hanging from his belt were a few empty magazines, several pouches, a water canteen, and his helmet. From one of the pouches, he retrieved a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, brought one to his mouth, and lit it, looking around for any Rangers he might ask for instructions.

Aster takes a step out of the shuttle and takes a deep breath. "Ah, can't ya just smell the fun we're gonna have!" He says with a chuckle following. He looks around after slinging his bag over his right shoulder and sees a fellow soldier light up a cigarette. He approaches him and asks, "Aye, can I bum a light off ya?" shoving his hand into one of the pouches on his bag, he soon produces a cigarette of his own flashing his fellow man a grin before pointing it at him. The contents of the bag jiggle a bit inside his bag giving a bit of a clanging sound as he moves. Inside is his dress uniform, a few empty magazines and a select few other things. If one were to ask if he actually came prepared, he would nod and lie through his teeth. In his eyes, so long as he has his gun and some ammunition as well as some armor to protect him, he'll be fine.

James flicks the lighter closed and offers it to the other soldier, taking a long draw on the cigarette as he does.
"Private James Sterling," he says, exhaling the smoke, "You're a Ranger?" He asks, noting the insignia the other is wearing.

Aster takes the lighter with a generous smile, flicks it up and lights his own cigarette. Taking a few puffs before he flicks the lighter closed once more and offers it back to James. "Aye," he says letting the cigarette smoke into the air, "Nice to meet ya, Mr. Sterling. Private Aster Leighton, reportin'" He says, saluting with his free and correct hand his cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth.

James takss the lighter, nodding as Aster spoke.
"You been in the defence force long?" He asks, taking another long draw from his cigarette and flicking the ash onto the ground.

"Not very, to be honest." Aster shrugs, his eyes averting and taking in all that's around him before spotting a pair of female soldiers he finds attractive. His eyes rest on them for a bit as he speaks, "Only been at it for about a year, was in the army before this since I was eighteen." He cracks a smile and waves as one of the women turn to look at him. "How about you? You been at it long?"

"Joined nearly five years back," James replies, "Was about to make Sergeant, before I joined the Rangers." He takes another drag of his cigarette, "This'll be my first deployment as Special Forces,"

"That makes the two of us, mate." Aster replies, his gaze shifting back to James as soon as the girls he had been eyeing leave for some other destination. "Now, how about we get goin' and find someone to tell us what we need to be doin'. Pretty sure they wouldn't like their two best up and coming Rangers standin' around like a couple of slack jawed faggots." He says with a smile and a quick pat on James' shoulder as the slowly accumulating ash from the cigarette succumbs to gravity and falls to the ground.

"'Scuse me, gents," Says a voice in a prominent British accent, "Are you the transfers from the academy?"
James turns to face him, his eyes checking the rank slide the man was wearing.
"Yes, sir," He says saluting the Colonel, "Private First Class James Sterling."

At the sound and sight of the man before them, Aster snaps to attention at a crisp salute. "Aye, sir. Private First Class Aster Leighton, reportin' for duty." His demeanor from lackadaisical smart ass changing almost instantly to a sobering example of what a soldier actually looks like. Underneath it all, though, his heart is racing while he wonders if an immediate deployment had been called for all units.

"Alright lads, you can put your hands down," He says, "I'd rather not be saluted, given the circumstances. Lima-Bravos have been getting brave lately. I'm Colonel Miller, commanding officer of the Ranger forces stationed here. I'll show you to your barracks, and then I'd like you to meet me in the Frame loading bay."

After he finishes talking, he leads the two to their barracks, which seems unoccupied at the moment, before he gives them directions and leaving them to attend to matters in the loading bay.

Aster had been directed to help perform repairs on a Frame that had come back from deployment. With welder in hand, he begins repairing the damaged sections of the unit. "Boy, oh boy you got yourself in a heap of trouble didn't ya." He says as sparks begin to fly, his masked face being left unharmed from the intense light being produced.

James scratches the side of his face as he fills his own Frame with fuel for its weaponry, which appear to be mostly incendiary. Once he finishes, he climbs up to the cockpit and switches it back on.
"Chesh'," He says to the AI, "Run a weapons scan. Are the tanks full?"
"Yes, Ranger." She replies, her voice sounding much clearer in the cockpit. "We are at full capacity."

"Brilliant!" James exclaims, clapping his hands. During his training, Cheshire had always insisted that more fuel could be added. This was the first time he'd got it right first try. As he wipes spilled fuel from his hands, a red light flares up, a siren sounding. He rushes for his Frame, only to be shouted down by the Colonel.
"Ignore it," Miller shouts up at James and over to Aster, "Bloody thing's been acting up all week, and the technicians aren't arriving until next week."

Aster had stood from his spot at the ready as the alarm sounded, flipping the face guard up to face the Colonel. Even when the Colonel shook the alarm off, he still stood standing ready to enter his Frame. "Aye, but sir. What if this isn't a malfunction?" Aster says with an amount of worry to his voice, the same amount of worry creeping onto his face.

"This is the Coalition's largest base on the planet," Miller answers, "Anyone who's so muched as looked at terrorist propaganda gets flagged by the security AI the minute they come within a mile of our outer walls. If we were going to be attacked, we'd know before the alarms."

And as if to prove his point, the alarm stops. Slowly, James climbs down from his Frame and begins to relax.

Aster's nervousness persists even after the alarm fades off. Aye, but what if there's somethin' else goin' without our knowledge? He says to himself before nodding, trying to stuff his thoughts and nervousness down. "Aye sir. Sorry sir." He says apologetically while scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. He let's out a strained breath and gives the Colonel a smile. "I've almost finished the repairs on this Frame, sir, but it should be able to go without too much trouble if need be."

"Try to get it as close to a 100% as you can, Private," Miller says, "The old girl's needed on a mission soon, so we can't afford to send her off for proper repairs just yet,"

James, meanwhile, began testing the various functions of his Frame, barring the weapons. He had Chesh' raise its arms and legs, turn around on the spot and enable and disable the optical display inside the cockpit. He had tried to get Cheshire to sing, but as a new AI, she hadn't developed enough of a personality to oblige any requests that weren't mission-related.

"Aye, sir!" Aster snaps into a crisp salute at the order and turns back to the Frame as well as the people helping. "You 'erd the man, one hundred and ten percent battle readiness!" He says bellowing at his fellow men and women as he walks back to the Frame. His face guard drops down and he sets back to work taking glances at James piloting his Frame. I should get acquainted with my girl before we head out as well. Wouldn't do me any good to be the only man strugglin to turn his mate on.

Two hours later, and James had finally managed to properly tune his Frame. When he tried to move it now, it felt much more natural. Now it was just a matter of using her in combat.

Again, the alarms sounded, and for a few minutes, nobody reacted, putting it off as another malfunction. A soldier ran into the hangar, struggling for breath.
"Colonel!" He shouted between breaths, "They- The Liberation Brigade- We've lost Phalanx base."